Sonoma County has been a magnet for artists and art connoisseurs for many decades, and continues to attract sophisticated artists and art collectors, along with casual art lovers. Combined with the sheer natural beauty, and general creative ambience, the area readily entices visitors, as well as long-time residents, to explore the many and varied fine art offerings. With the addition of great food, drink, and outdoor activities, it’s easy to spend a day, a week, or a lifetime traversing through the vineyards, forests, and rolling hills, along the scenic coast, and through the welcoming towns of Sonoma County.

The following is a partial list of local art exhibitions. Many eateries, wineries, and civic buildings also present changing art shows in their spaces.

Charles M. Schulz MuseumThrough March 11, Mud Pies & Jelly BeansIt’s only fitting that a cartoon named Peanuts includes many puns about food. Patty and Violet are expert mud pie makers, Charlie Brown hates coconut, and Snoopy thinks about pizza, cookies, and the next meal in his dog dish.
2301 Hardies Lane, Santa Rosa
707-579-4452www.schulzmuseum.org

By Linda Dove

Chroma GalleryFebruary 9 through March 25, Healing By Art: After The Fires*** Artists Reception Friday, February 9, from 5 to 8 p.m.
An exhibition of art, sculpture and photography created in the aftermath of the recent October fires. Many of the works were created from salvaged materials, such as ashes, and burnt remnants. Others reflect the emotional traumas experienced by all those who fled. Sponsored by Santa Rosa Art Center.
312 South A Street, Santa Rosa
707-293-6051www.chromagallery.net

Cloverdale and GeyservilleThrough May 2018, SculptureTrailThe Trail is an exhibit of sculptures on the main streets in of Geyserville and Cloverdale in the Sonoma County Wine Country. The Sculpture Trail is a year-round exhibit with sculptures changing every 12 months. You can download a map for your visit at www.101SculptureTrail.com.

Hammerfriar GalleryFebruary 10 through March 31, Art Moura; Mixed Media*** Opening reception Saturday, February 10, from 6 to 8:30 p.m.
Moura discovered African masks in a Madrid Museum and drew them daily for months in 1985. His current work continues to be influenced by this experience.
132 Mill Street, Ste.101, Healdsburg
707-473-9600www.hammerfriar.com

Museums of Sonoma CountyArt MuseumThrough April 15, 3 Friends: Hudson, Stuppin, Shaw3 Friends explores the work of contemporary artists Robert Hudson, Jack Stuppin and Richard Shaw, three artists who have worked for decades in California’s North Coast region. Colleagues, friends and sometime conspirators, the three artists have had influential careers shaping three distinct media—steel, canvas and clay. This marks the first time all three have been shown together in a combined museum exhibition.

History MuseumThrough April 1, Bear In Mind: The Story of the California GrizzlyAlthough now extinct in the state, the grizzly has long been a central character in California’s history. Over the centuries, the relationship that Californians have had with the grizzly bear is one of dualities – expressed in fear and fascination.
425 Seventh Street, Santa Rosa
707-579-1500www.museumsc.org

Paradise Ridge Winery SculptureOutdoor sculpture meadows. The winery buildings were devastated by the fire, but the vineyards and most of the sculptures remain unharmed.
4545 Thomas Lake Harris Drive, Santa Rosa
707-528-9463www.prwinery.com

Christopher Evans, Cobalt Blue

Petaluma Arts CenterThrough March 24, Power of 10: Scaling UpPower of Ten: Scaling Up showcases over 10 artists who are looking further and more deeply at issues of scale through painting, photography, sculpture, architecture, design and film. Curated by Llisa Demetrios.
230 Lakeville Street, Petaluma
707-762-5600www.petalumaartscenter.org

Ren Brown Collection GalleryHoused in a refurbished building with shoji and a small, serene Japanese garden, the gallery shows contemporary art by Japanese and regional Northern California artists.
1781 Coast Highway One, Bodega Bay
707-875-2922www.renbrown.com

Sebastopol Center for the ArtsFebruary 16 through March 4, Wise and Sassy*** Opening reception, Friday, February 16, from 6 to 7:30 p.m.
A non-juried, salon-style exhibition for artists over 60.
282 High Street, Sebastopol
707-829-4797www.sebarts.org

By Susan St. Thomas

Sebastopol GalleryThrough March 25, The Essence of Spirit*** Artist’s reception Saturday, February 10, from 4 to 6 p.m.
Paintings by Susan St. Thomas, and jewelry by Michelle Hoting.
150 N. Main St, Sebastopol
707-829-7200www.sebastopol-gallery.com/

Sonoma State University, University Art GalleryFebruary 1 and 2, Art from the Heart Preview ExhibitionAt the previews (from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.) art patrons have a chance to view artwork in advance of Saturday’s auction in a more relaxed and unhurried setting.*** Saturday, February 3, from 6 to 9 p.m. Art from the Heart Art AuctionThe 34th annual silent art auction and party at the University Art Gallery, is an exciting evening of art, food, wine, and music that has become one of the oldest continually-held fundraising events in the area and a “must” for novice and seasoned collectors alike.

February 16 through March 11, Morrie Camhi*** Opening reception, Thursday, February 22, from 4 to 6 p.m.
Approximately 50 black and white vintage photographs by the late Petaluma photographer, Morrie Camhi, have been donated to SSU by the artist’s estate. Self-described as a storyteller and a humanist, Camhi created a number of powerful series of photographs focusing on such diverse topics as the Jews of Greece, the California farm labor movement, and the California prison system. A number of his photographs include statements by the subjects themselves detailing the circumstances of their lives that were captured by Camhi’s camera.
1801 East Cotati Avenue, Rohnert Park
707-664-2295www.sonoma.edu/artgallery

London, Antung Harbor, Manchuria 1904

Sonoma Valley Museum of ArtThrough April 15, An Eye for Adventure: Photographs by Jack LondonJack London (1876-1916) is revered as the quintessential American novelist and short story writer, and in the Sonoma area he is a renowned native son. This exhibition will introduce an array of the writer’s photographs gathered from his adventures as a war correspondent and global sailor.

Also on view: Libros de Artista: Artist’s Books from Mexico and the Mexican DiasporaLibros de Artista features about 40 contemporary limited edition books created by Latin American artists, sourced from both the original artists in Mexico and from the Latin American and Iberian Collections at Stanford University Libraries.
551 Broadway, Sonoma
707-939-7862www.svma.org

The Art Wall atShige SushiThrough February 25, Linda Yoshizawa—Monotype CollageBorn and raised in Los Angeles, Linda graduated with a BA in studio art from Pomona College in 1978. She studied silkscreen printmaking at UCLA extension.
8235 Old Redwood Highway, Cotati
707-795-9753http://ctalcroft.wix.com/artwallatshige/

6 Responses to Art in Sonoma County: Current Gallery and Museum Exhibitions in February 2018

> Satri Pencak posted: “Sonoma County has been a magnet for artists and art > connoisseurs for many decades, and continues to attract sophisticated > artists and art collectors, along with casual art lovers. Combined with the > sheer natural beauty, and general creative ambience, the ” >